Meter for measuring and registering liquid volumes received and delivered



Nov. 23, 1937. F. HEJDUK ET AL 2,100,052

METER FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING LIQUID VOLUMES RECEIVED AND DELIVERED Filed Dec. 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nuv. 23, 1937. F. HEJDUK ET AL 2,100,052

METER FOR MEASURING AND REGISTERING LIQUID VOLUMES RECEIVED AND DELIVERED Filed Dec. 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-3.

Ja a2 Ma zzarz-n I Patented Nov. '23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IMETER FOR MEASURING AND REGISTER- ING LIQUID VOLUMES RECEIVED AND DE- LIVERED Fl-smack Hejduk and Jan Neumann, Prague,

Cuchosluvakia Application December 9, 1935, Serial No. 53,656

In Germany February 9, 1935 2 Claims.

meter both the amounts delivered throughthe said meterinto a storage reservoir or withdrawn therefrom through the meter.

In the measurement of large quantities of liquids, in the storage of gasolene for example,

it is essential that both the volumes of the oil received as well as those delivered should be measured. The measurement of the volumes by a current-flow meter is to be preferred to weighing because less expensive apparatus is required, and a speedier result is obtained but principally because the ascertained volumes remain permanently registered on the measuring apparatus and also because the process of measurement does not interfere with the flow of the liquid.

When, however, the quantities of a specified liquid received and withdrawn are measured one after the other by" the same measuring instrument, the subsequent result is imperfect because the reading of the meter includes both the volume received and also that given out and there is no possibility of distinguishing between the two. Nor is the desired result obtained even when two meters, one for the reception and the other for I the delivery, are made use of, because each meter functions with a certain inaccuracy, however slight, and the inaccuracies are not the same for the two meters with the result that, after -a certain time,- there arises a discrepancy between the volume in the reservoir and the difference registered by the two meters. This discrepancy becomes greater and greater in the course of time because it must be assumed that each meter will lose its original precision to a greater or less de- 40 gree as time advances as a result of wear in the measuring elements. From the point of view of outlay, the use oi two meters is also less advantageous. V

The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks.

The apparatus according to the invention makes use of one single meter for both the inflow and outflow. Even when this meter is not absolutely accurate, the volumes of both the inflowing and outflowing liquids are measured sub- Ject to this error and the two errors largely cancel out. The errors of the readings of the measuring apparatus have no practical elect on the correctness of the reading 01 the quantity in the reservoir as is the one when two meters are employed. The meter has two independent counting devices and either one or the other is actuated, depending on the position of the distribution memberusually a iourway cock-which One construction of apparatus according to the invention is shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, from which all auxiliary apparatus not directly connected with the method of operating, such as filters, air-separators etc. has been omitted. In the drawings, in which corresponding elements are indicated by the same reference characters: Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the positions oi the parts when the liquid is taken from supply tanks into the reservoir;

Fig. 2 is a similar diagram showing the arrangement when the liquid is conveyed in the opposite direction;

Fig. 3 shows in iront elevation a detail of a gear transmission system for selectively actuating either register 01' the current flow meter, by current flow;

Fig. 4 shows the registers in operative relation with their actuating gear wheels; and

Fig. 5 shows in side elevation the relations of a train of gear wheels-for selectively actuating either register.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the liquid issuing, for instance, from the supply tank or cistern I, is pumped through the hose and conduit or pipe 2, through one side of the fourway valve 3, which may be in the form of a four-way cock, through the pipe 4 to the centrifugal pump 5 and past thenon-return valve 6 into the current-flow meter 1, whence it flows through the pipe 8, the other side or channel or cook I and the pipe or conduit 2a into the storage reservoir 8. The connection between the cock 3 and the meter 1 is adjusted equably; the current-flow meter 1 is fitted between the two sections of the connecting pipe and the liquid must steadily flow through the latter in one direction. For the accurate measurement of liquids it iscustomary to connect into the path of thestream traversing the meter, a strainer and an air separator, which are' adapted to iunction properly for only one direction oi flow, and hence it is important that the arrangements of connections of the meter in the stream flow path with the strainer and air separator are such that the stream traverses their 5 part of the path in only one direction, regardless of the terminal where delivery is beingmade, The meter has two indicators or counting devices, one for the inflow and the other for the outflow oi the liquid. In order to ensurethat the regis- 6 controls the flow of the liquid being measured. 5

tration of the flow shall take place in accordance with the position of the cock 3, a mechanical connection is provided between the operating spindle of cock 3 and the counting mechanism. In the drawings the handle I0 of the cock is shown as having pivoted to it at H one end of a link M which has its other end connected at I3 to a lever or crank l2, projecting from the meter 1, by which change over of the counting devices can be eifected. The lever |2 has two positions; in one position, the counter registers the amount of liquid that fiows in, and in the other, the volume flowing out. The actual change over from one counter to the other is effected in the middle position of the cock 3, in which any flow of liquid is prevented.

In Fig. 2 is shown the positions of the cock 3 and the levers l0 and I2 when the liquid is drawn off from the storage reservoir 9 and is conducted through the pipe system 2a, 4, 8, 2 into a railway tank car The cock is reversed by movement of the lever l0 and the motion is transmitted by the link l4 to the lever l2 of the meter.

The change-over. mechanism whereby movement of link It selectively sets the driving mechanism into actuating position to drive either the upper or the lower registering dial of meter I, may consist of simple gear and lever mechanism familiar in the art, of which the following is an explanatory example, and is shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5.

The counting mechanisms l5 and l6for registering the quantity of flow into and from the storage tank are driven by gear wheels I! and i8 respectively, one of which ata time is engaged by the gear wheel l9. This gear wheel I9 is rotatably mounted on lever 20, which lever can be so displaced about the shaft 2| carrying lever I2 that the gear wheel l9 engages with and drives either gear wheel I! or l8. This gear wheel IS in i turn is driven through the gear wheels 22 and 23 from the bevel gears 24 and 25 of the measuring shaft 26, which shaft always turns in the same direction. When handle l0 places valve 3 in a position to prevent any flow through the valve, gear wheel 9 is not in engagement with either gear wheel H or 3.

Lever 20 is preferablymounted resiliently displaceable on shaft 2|, so that there is resilient engagement between gear wheel l9 and gear wheel I! or ill. In a convenient known means of accomplishing this, the lever 20 constitutes one side of an elastic coupling, whose second side being the lever 21 is keyed fast on'the shaft 2|,

and the two sides of the coupling are connected together by a spring 28.

The lever 20 has a flanged portion by which it is freely journaled on shaft 2|. The lever 21 has a flanged portion by which it is keyed to shaft 2|. Lever 20 carries a stub-shaft 3| on which is rotatably mounted gear-wheel l9. Lever 20 carries a forked member 29 which is positioned to engage one free end 28b of spring 28. Lever 21 carries a forked member 30 which is positioned to engage the other free end 28a of spring 28.

The shaft 2| is rotatably actuated by actuation of the four-way valve 3 (Figs. 1 and 2) by means of the lever I 2 and the connecting rod M. The arrangement of such an elastic coupling I makes possible displacements of different magnitudes of lever 20 and of lever l 2. Upon changing over at the distributing valve 3, the lever 20 is swung along until thegear wheel l9 meshes with gear wheel I! or gear wheel I8. Upon further rotation of lever l2 and shaft 2|, the lever 20 moves no further, and the motion is taken up by the spring 28. l

The diagram shows only one embodiment of a practical realization but other embodiments are also possible without deviating from the characteristic feature of the invention. Having now described the invention, what we desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States and what we claim is:

1. In a two-way system for selectively measuring liquid flow, a pair of tanks, a pair of conduits respectively connecting with said tanks, a current-flow meter comprising a pair of registers and adjustable control means for selectively actuating either of said registers, said meter further comprising liquid-flow actuatable means and a liquid inlet and outlet communicating with said last mentioned means, said last mentioned means being in operative relation with said control means for selectively actuating either of said registers as said control means is adjusted, a

four-way valve connected for selectively connecting in its first position the inlet of said meter to the conduit of a first one of said tanks and the outlet of said meter to the conduit of a second one of said tanks, or connecting in its second position the inlet of said meter to the conduit of said second one of said tanks and the outlet of said meter to the conduit of said first one of said'tanks, and interlocking means interlocking said valve and said control means for causing said control means to actuate a first one of said registers when said valve is in said first position and to actuate a second one of said registers when said valve is in said second position.

2. In a two-way system for selectively measur ing liquid flow, a pair of tanks, a pair of conduits respectively connecting with said tanks, at current-flow meter comprising a pair of registers and adjustable control means for selectively actuating either of said registers, said meter further comprising liquid-flow actuatable means and a liquid inlet and outlet communicating with said last mentioned means, said last mentioned means being in operative relation with said control means for selectively actuating either of said registers as said control means is adjusted, a

four-way valve connected for selectively connecting in its first position the inlet of said meter to the conduit of a first one of said tanks and the outlet of said meter to the conduit of a second one of said tanks, or connecting in its second position the inlet of said meter to the conduit of said second one of said tanks and the outlet of said meter to the conduit of said first one of said tanks, flow direction control means connected between said inlet of said meter and said valve for permitting fiow only in the direction 'from' said valve to said inlet, and interlocking means interlocking said valve and said control means for causing said control means to actuate a first one of said registers when said valve is in said first position and to actuate a second one of said registers when said valve is in said second position.

FRANTISEK HEJDUK. 

